Pacific Rim 2 Set Photo Teases What’s Behind a Mysterious Door

If you love sci-fi or Japanese monster movies and have a pulse, you’re likely following Pacific Rim: Maelstrom closely. The sequel to Guillermo del Toro’s acclaimed mecha-kaiju summer blockbuster is officially on its way, and with casting news pouring in and even some on-set peeks at leading man John Boyega, there are a lot of reasons to get excited that the film is finally in production.

Though we know that Boyega plays the son of the late Stacker Pentacost, Idris Elba’s character in the first film, we know little else about the actual plot of Maelstrom. This leaves fans with a lot of questions — namely, if Raleigh and Mako managed to vanquish the Kaijus in the first film, what Jaeger-worthy foe will the Maelstrom protagonists take on? How many years have passed between the events of the first film and the events of its sequel? Though we still don’t have answers to these questions, we received a teaser image from director Stephen S. DeKnight that has fueled the fires of speculation.

The director and Spartacus showrunner took to Instagram to post a photo of himself on the set of Pacific Rim: Maelstrom. The enigmatic photo features a sly caption that has fans buzzing. Check it out, below:

What’s behind this awesome door? You’ll have to see #PacificRim2 to find out. #onset

While we have no clue what could be behind that “awesome” door, it certainly looks like a set piece that belongs to the Shatterdome A.K.A. Pacific Rim‘s Jaeger HQ. The industrial style and intense hardware leads one to believe it’s hiding something important, and commenters on the post are even speculating that it could hold a Kaiju. That would certainly explain how the alien race will reappear in Maelstrom. Perhaps some errant Kaiju DNA from the Shatterdome’s lab creates a new monster — which means we would also get to see the return of hilarious scientists Newt (Charlie Day) and Hermann (Burn Gorman). Anything is possible, since del Toro claimed we would see a lot of original cast members return to the sequel.

No matter what, we have faith that this sequel will provide an entertaining return to the tumultuous world we all fell in love with back in 2013. Though this film will not be written and directed by Guillermo del Toro, it looks like his vision will still be integral to the film’s development, while he acts as producer. And with a screenwriting team consisting of The 100 producer Kira Snyder, The Maze Runner writer T.S. Nowlin, and upcoming Lumberjanes director Emily Carmichael, Maelstrom is shaping up to be an interesting dystopia indeed.

Do you think a new race of Kaiju could be hiding behind DeKnight’s door, or could it be a returning cast member? Do you think the set piece is from the Shatterdome (or Maelstrom‘s version of the Shatterdome), or somewhere else? Speculate away in the comments, and we’ll be sure to keep you updated as Maelstrom production continues.